OWLS

As I write this, the OWLS group is busy making next boxes for our birds of prey. We are building boxes for barn owls, tawny owls, little owls and for the now diminishing kestrel (proof of this activity can be seen on the owls web site!). We are grateful to Rhian and her builder friend who managed to get us all our timber at a vastly discounted rate and also cut to size. I will shortly be wandering the village perimeters looking for suitable trees to mount our boxes on. If you think you may have a suitable site, please phone me (680664). As their own initiative, Paul and Tom Heritage have already erected five barn owl boxes around Oxhill and Little Kineton.

March is also the time to clear out bird nest boxes and remember to keep feeding your garden birds. Use the higher protein bird foods, and fresh meal worms are also good, but please don’t scatter whole peanuts which can choke chicks. If you are buying new plants for your pond, make sure you only buy native plants; imported plants such as floating pennywort and water primrose are very invasive and can clog up waterways. Sow comfrey seeds between now and June, any spare patch of garden will do. Their leaves are fantastic added to your compost heap, liquid manure can be made from the whole plant, and most importantly, the flowers are a favourite with bees.

Apologies for the lack of Nature Notes, which will return in April.

Grenville Moore

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Last modified: February 26, 2010